Thanks guys! Then I won't feel too bad about responding with my flight today.
First, the weight issues is very relevant. I told my instructor about my weight ahead of time, and he planned to have the plane burn off some gas before I got there, so each time, we've flown about a half hour above the VFR minimums from the FAR, eg, two hours of go juice in tanks for an hour of flying. Between the two of this, this starts us out right at the limit, and after a couple minutes flying, we're golden.
Today, I showed up, and I felt good. I had done that other writeup, so I had a chance to organize my thoughts. I practiced my engine out list a couple times on the drive out there, and I was ready and rarin' to go. I preflighted, decided we were a tiny bit low (2.5 and 3 gallons in the tanks, respectively) so I towed the plane over to the pumps and put in 7 gallons.
Paul got in, I started up the plane, and taxied over to the runup without incident. Did everything right, no corrections needed from him, did a graceful pirouette to look for traffic (found a guy before the instructor did, entering on the 45) and taxied over and waited, with the plane pointed so I could watch base and final for runway 33. Instructor asked to see another soft field takeoff, so I reviewed the checklist while waiting for the Cessna 182 to land (he had just dropped off some parachutists) and then, when he was clear of the active, did a nice soft field takeoff.
The soft takeoff he wants me doing is a lot different from what I learned in SoCal. Down there, my instructor had me take off in a stall, fly down into the ground effect, accelerate, then climb out at Vy, cleaning up flaps. Up here, the guy has me take off with the yoke all the way back (like I was taught), but to do a controlled wheelie (letting off pressure as I accelerated to keep the nose steady) and then, as I lift off, I'm just a few seconds away from Vy already, and do my climb out. Also, he had me using full flaps instead of the one notch my premade checklist suggested.
I flew out, and around 1,500 feet, he pulled the throttle and told me I lost my engine. Instantly, I whipped through the sequence he taught me. After establishing best glide and aiming towards a field: Fuel cut-off, on. Mixture, full rich. Adjust throttle, turn on carb heat, check mags (is it both? Yes, good) and verify the primer was in and locked.
"Nope, didn't start" he dead panned. Ah, roger that. I pointed at the radio, "tuning to one two one point five. Mayday, mayday, Cessna niner four niner four golf with engine failure, emergency landing two miles north east of Creswell airport, two souls on board." Inexplicably, I added 'creswell traffic' to the end of my call, because I was so used to it, but the instructor assured me that was fine. I flew a normal approach for my emergency landing, because I know what things are supposed to look like when I do (something my socal instructor taught me but I never bothered to do until now, whooops... Jeff, if you're out there, turns out you were right, it DOES make things easier!). I turned base, then final and lined up with a nice smooth field. Unlike the Valley in SoCal where I got most of my engine failures (simulated), there aren't MILLIONS OF PEOPLE trying to get in the way of my plane, so I have lots of places to land. At a couple hundred feet above the ground, he was satisfied that I had the field made and had me do a go around. I entered the pattern, nailed all my radio calls, saw traffic and dodged accordingly, and everything was peachy.
...right until halfway through my downwind leg when he reaches over and pulls my throttle again. "Whoops! Lost your engine." I tell him I'm skipping the checklist because I've got the field made and make a short approach. I come in nice and orderly, putting in full flaps when I feel a little high, and bring us down for a landing. Nothing to write home about because of the full flaps, no throttle, but it doesn't set off the ELT, so I'm happy.
I throttle up, take off again, and fly the pattern. This time, he tells me he wants to see a nice landing. So I fly a normal pattern. feel a little low at one point, but I correct, and as I'm turning base to final, he asks where we're landing.
"At the end of the second line for the centerline" I tell him, and he approves.
"I get a little nervous when people say 'on the numbers or that first line. It's a small runway." I grease it in right where I wanted, and then take off again. On downwind, I lose my engine again and this time he tells me there's oil all over the window. I make my landing via my side window, and come in a bit hot. I extend past the runway on base, doing a slip, then turn back and slip again as I'm lining up with the runway. I'm announcing my slips ahead of time so he doesn't get nervous by all the cross controlled flying, and he tells me he's totally fine, especially SINCE I'm announcing it. I get my airspeed, altitude, and sink rate all cleaned up a hundred feet above the runway and bring it down nice and smooth. I touch down a couple hundred feet further then usual, so I taxi to the end of the runway instead of taking the turnoff that's halfway down, but it's a fine landing. I turn to Paul.
"So, how are you feeling about my flying?" I ask.
"We're done here." He says I'm not doing anything that makes him nervous, and he's good to sign me off on their plane. He reminds me to stay on those pre-landing checklists and tells me about a friend of his who landed with his primer unlocked (and the attendant roughness of engine) who just about needed a new set of trousers, all because he didn't do his list, and I can imagine how that would be sub-optimal.
My eldest is turning 3 tomorrow, so Saturday is an 'all family day', but I hope to fly again on Sunday. I figure I'll probably do a couple of pattern landings, then maybe fly out to Eugene or some other airport. If my mom (who is visiting for the birthday party) brings my sons to the airport, I'll probably just stay in the pattern for a few spins to show them daddy flying. I want some more time in the plane before I take up one of my sons or other passengers, but there's no reason I can't let them sit in it!
Marcus, my three year old, has been demanding that we go flying all week. He tells me that he wants a 'Big BIG plane' so he can fly up to Seattle to visit his grandmother.
Thatta boy!
